Soldier DISCONTINUED
by WrenTree
Summary: The TARDIS lands on a mysterious Battlestar where troubles await them, including cylons and a strange force pulling people straight of their vipers. Rose and the Doctor have to deal with the historical Cylon war to top it off. Doctor Who and Battlestar.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Really, I don't expect this to be anything special or unique. I'm just a huge fan of both these series, and I wanted to post this. It's already written, so yeah.**

**Please review if you're reading! Lovez to all, and enjoy!!!!! -Helena

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_Everything was silent on the Battlestar_ Perseus. There was absolutely nothing moving, nothing making any noise. Every cabin and corridor was consumed by quiet, and every single placement of living space was occupied with no sound. It was completely silent. 

But in the midst of this silence was something lying awake. She gazed with unblinking eyes up at the silver-grey ceiling in silence, thoughts roaming through her un-innocent mind.

And then the silence was broken. Lights switched on, and the cabin was plunged into activity. Voices filtered through the intercoms and the thing got to her feet. Everyone around her was hurriedly getting changed into their uniforms, custom to Battlestar Perseus's fashion. But the thing simply gazed at the surrounding people with no emotion. She didn't feel like working today, and was rather uncomfortable moving regularly through the throng of unsuspecting people.

'Come on,' said the deep voice of one of her fellow comrades. 'What are you standing around for? Let's go.'

She laughed nervously and shrugged her shoulders impatiently. Switching her mind into work gear, she slipped into the every-day routine and quickly got changed.

'I think Commander Gelth will lose it today,' growled the voice of her closest "friend," Trisha. 'She's been losing it more and more lately now. I wonder if the XO is going to replace her soon.'

The thing shrugged. 'I don't know,' she replied. 'I think you shouldn't talk like that, if that's what you're saying.'

Trisha laughed her sweet, innocent laugh. 'Oh, shut it,' she giggled. 'You know I'm only joking.'

The thing laughed cautiously along with her "friend." It was best not to provoke suspicion.

But she didn't exactly care. He was coming, and she was sure of it.

* * *

'Whoa!' Jenny shouted, feinting backward slightly. She was standing in front of a mirror, her toothbrush falling to the sink. 

Trisha glanced over at her. 'What's wrong?' she asked.

Jenny stared down at the toothbrush. 'I don't know,' she mumbled, reaching down to pick it up. She placed it back in her mouth and continued brushing. She didn't know what just happened, but it was odd enough.

'I'm going back,' Trisha said, drying her mouth with a cloth. 'I'll see you there, okay?'

Jenny nodded silently and watched her go in silence. She spit and finished brushing her teeth and stared at her reflection in the spotless mirror. Something strange was happening, and it definitely wasn't the first time.

Something was coming. Something horrible.

* * *

**A/N: Short prologue, but that only makes you thirsty for more!!! Sorry, obscure reference to Home Alone...anywayz...hope it was okay...-**


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: I feel rather ashamed. I don't know a lot about Battlestar Galactica, so please forgive me. I haven't really seem season 3 yet, so don't criticize me on that...o.o Anyway, I hope this is okay... I also don't know if certain things should be capitalized or not...

* * *

**

'What is it?' Rose asked as she strutted up to the mainframe of the TARDIS controls. The Doctor was busily flying his hands over the various buttons and switches, his funny thick-rimmed glasses glued to his face. 

The Doctor looked up. 'Nothing,' he stated simply.

Rose laughed lightly. 'Then why do you look like Jarvis Cocker?'

The Doctor look up, an expression of pure hurt on his face. 'Well, I'm sorry,' he mumbled. 'But I think the TARDIS wants us to go somewhere.'

Rose smiled to herself. She loved it when the Doctor was so interested in what the TARDIS was telling him. He had completely missed something extremely important, at least to Rose.

Then he looked up once more. 'What are you wearing?' he asked, disgust layering his voice.

Rose shifted uncomfortably in her skimpy, maroon mini-dress. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun. 'What, don't you like it?' she asked anxiously.

The Doctor looked up again, inspecting her outfit. 'Well…why are you wearing it?'

Rose stared at him with expressionless disappointment. 'Fine,' she murmured, turning away. 'I'll take it off.'

'It's not that I don't like it,' the Doctor added hastily, his voice fading. Finally, he added, 'All right, it looks a bit…weird.'

'Well what's weird?' Rose insisted.

The Doctor twiddled with his ear with his right hand. 'Er…weird.'

Rose rolled her eyes and turned to walk through the doors leading to the TARDIS's vast expanse of rooms and hallways.

'Well, it wouldn't look exactly "right" where we're going,' the Doctor called after her.

Rose looked back. She supposed that the Doctor meant they were going into the past. But who would want him in the past? After their encounter with Queen Victoria, she was sure he wasn't wanted anywhere near Scotland.

Without saying anything in response, Rose turned to climb the stairs leading to the uppermost hallway. When she reached the enormous closet of clothes from all eras, she dug around looking for something like the outfit she wore for her 'meeting' with the Gelth.

Eventually, she made her way back to the main control room where the Doctor was waiting patiently.

'You're back,' he stated simply without sparing her a glance. 'Good. Now we can get going. Hm…let's see…2125, here we come.'

Rose started. '2125?' she echoed incredulously.

The Doctor turned to look at her—and immediately burst into laughter.

'I though you said mini-dresses wouldn't work with where we're going,' Rose confirmed.

Once the Doctor caught his composure, he turned to Rose. 'It won't,' he said. 'The TARDIS is getting a message from the year 2125, from some sort of spaceship far away from Earth.'

'How do you know mini-dresses won't work?' Rose insisted.

The Doctor stepped aside to reveal the TARDIS's main screen. She saw a display of an enormous ship in the depths of space, the words 'Battlestar Perseus' imprinted on its side. Multiple smaller jets hovered around the main ship, circling like hawks above prey.

'Do you think everyone on board wears mini-dresses?' the Doctor asked, sarcasm thick in his voice.

Rose couldn't resist a small laugh. Without another word, she turned to get some different clothes.

* * *

'What do you think you're doing?' Commander Gelth asked calmly, her thick black hair pulled tight in a ponytail. 

Captain Red looked up at her. 'I was just calibrating—'

'I didn't ask you to calibrate anything,' Commander Gelth scolded, reaching out her hand to wrap it around the captain's.

'I'm very sorry, Commander,' Captain Red stammered, pulling his hand away from the Commander's. He took a step back. 'I thought the vipers would need test runs.'

'Are you implying that my Deck Chief isn't doing a proper job?' the Commander guessed. When Red didn't reply, she continued, 'You're dismissed, Captain. Go back to your station.'

Captain Red saluted hastily and made his way out of the observation deck.

Commander Gelth turned and watched as the vipers slowly drew back to the Battlestar. Maybe Red was right to have tested the new ships, but he shouldn't have done it without orders, especially without permission from Commander Gelth. There was so much ne needed to know.

'Commander,' said a low voice. Gelth turned to see Colonel Smith standing in a salute.

Gelth quickly saluted her XO, who immediately started his request. 'Commander Gelth, we have a…security breech.'

Gelth's eyes widened even the slightest bit. 'A security breech?' she echoed. 'How is that possible?'

The colonel shrugged rather informally. 'We don't know,' he answered. 'It just sort of…appeared.'

Gelth laughed slightly. 'And how's that possible? What is this thing, anyway?'

Smith shifted uncomfortably. 'It…a blue box. A big blue box.'

* * *

Jenny rushed over to Trisha's side. 'What is it?' she asked hurriedly in a whisper.

'There's a security breech!' Trisha whispered back with the same amount of urgency. But Jenny couldn't miss the hint of excitement in her voice.

She laughed softly. 'Well then what are we waiting for?' she murmured, flipping over to pull her bleached-blonde hair into a ponytail. 'Do we need any sort of signal to attack?'

'We don't know if it's friendly or not,' Trisha replied, boredom replacing the excitement. 'Why do they have to be so cautious about everything? Don't they want to know what it is?'

'Well, what is it?' Jenny asked.

Trisha burst into laughter all of a sudden.

'What?' Jenny questioned, concerned. 'Trisha, what's so funny?'

Trisha stopped, wiping a fake tear away from her eyes. 'I'm sorry,' she muttered. 'But Colonel Smith said it was…a blue box.'

Jenny tipped her head to one side. 'A…blue box?' she echoed. 'What's so threatening about a blue box?'

Trisha shrugged. 'That's not for me to say,' she whispered. 'But apparently it's "dangerous."' She lifted her fingers to give the word 'dangerous' finger quotes.

The two laughed together before Colonel Smith entered the room. Everyone immediately got to their feet, raising their hands in salutes.

'At ease,' Smith said before walking to the podium at the head of the room. 'As you all know, there has been a security breech.'

Jenny giggled to Trisha.

'I know the whole topic may sound unbelievable, but there has been sightings of a big blue police box around sectional seven. We're going to send some people over to investigate, but we need some pilots to take a couple vipers around the premises.'

'Why?' Jenny found herself asking out of turn. 'The police box was found inside _Perseus_. Why should we look around outside?'

Smith stared at Jenny. After one moment that seemed to have lasted for an eternity, he said coolly, 'We don't know where the box came from. It could be a trick of the cylons.'

Jenny whispered lowly to Trisha, 'Of course it is.'

Smith straightened. 'Since you're so keen to discover what the police box is doing here, how about you go out with Cat and Sweeper?'

Jenny glanced at Trisha, who shrugged with carelessness. 'I kind of wanted to investigate the box, sir,' she said aloud.

Smith eyed down Trisha. 'Those were orders,' he stated simply. 'Cat, you will go with Sweeper and Artemis.'

Trisha nodded and glanced at Jenny, who was glaring down the colonel. She didn't want to see what was going on outside. There was surely nothing outside.

As the group left the plan room, Sweeper, or Chris, came up to them. 'Keep it in line, Artemis,' he said coolly to Jenny. 'You don't want to get on the XO's case for anything.'

'Oh, shut it, Chris,' Jenny hissed. 'I've been here longer than you.'

'Ah, but who's the one acting like a major?' Chris scoffed, heading off to find Smith.

Trisha turned to Jenny. 'Don't listen to him,' she whispered. 'He's just jealous that you get the special viper.'

'Oh, please,' Jenny scoffed. 'He's not jealous of anything. I mean, so what, I have the special viper.'

Trisha smirked. 'And everyone on the whole frakking Battlestar knows why.'

'Shut it,' Jenny laughed, whacking her friend lightly on the shoulder. The two followed Chris to the docking bay, where Jenny knew Chief waited.

* * *

'Hello, Chief,' Chris said, nodding to Deck Chief Carter. The tall blonde boy who looked not even a day over eighteen nodded back and turned to Jenny and Trisha.

'I see you three are heading out to investigate outside,' Chief said. 'You're the lucky ones, if you ask me.'

Jenny scoffed lightly. 'Oh, please,' she mumbled. 'Ask Cat here. She wanted to see what was up with the blue box.'

'Yes, it does seem rather odd,' Chief agreed. 'Why the hell would a blue police box be in the middle of sectional seven?'

Jenny nodded.

'You three had better get going,' Chief mumbled. 'We don't want to keep the colonel waiting.'

Jenny nodded once more and walked smoothly up to her viper. Before she climbed in, she ran her hands over the smooth carving on the side. 'Artemis' it read, revealing her call sign.

'You are lucky, you know,' Trisha said from behind her. She turned to see her placing her helmet on her head. 'Chief favours you.'

Jenny laughed. 'But he doesn't have to.'

'That's the special viper,' Trisha pointed out. 'He built that specially for you.'

'He was building it before he even got here,' Jenny tried.

Trisha laughed loudly. 'You think that's going to work on me? He's practically new!'

'He was working on it back on Caprica,' Jenny defended hastily. 'He just…gave it to me.'

Trisha nodded, sarcasm gleaming in her eyes as she opened the cockpit and climbed inside. Jenny glanced at her call sign once more before following suit.

'Artemis, Cat, and Sweeper,' came the light voice of Chief. 'Are you all ready?'

'Ready,' came Sweeper's voice. Once inside the cockpit, they no longer went by their names. It was battle time.

'And yet we're not battling anything,' Artemis whispered aloud grudgingly.

'What was that?' Cat asked.

'Nothing,' Artemis replied.

'All right, you're free to go,' Chief said.

Artemis took no time to prepare. She flashed her fingers across the special viper's controls and before she knew it, she was flying through the space.

'What're you in a hurry for?' Cat laughed.

'Shut it,' Artemis snapped.

'If you ask me, she's all too ready to get away from Chief,' Sweeper put in.

'I said shut it, you two,' Artemis insisted, zooming away from the group.

Artemis glanced down at the controls. They were easily set up, almost as if Chief knew he'd be giving it to a certain someone he favoured among the rest.

It was sort of customary to name vipers, just as having call signs. At least, that was the case for Artemis on _Battlestar Perseus_. She felt rather touched that Chief had given her the viper, and therefore had named it.

'All right, _Sandstorm_,' she whispered, trying hard not to let the others hear. 'Let's see what we've got, although I'm almost sure it's nothing—'

A scream split the silence.

'Cat!' Sweeper yelled through the com. 'Cat, come in! Cat, where are you?'

'You split up?' Artemis shouted to Sweeper. 'I thought we were supposed to stick together!'

'Well, you weren't exactly following those rules either, you hypocrite,' Sweeper spat.

'Who frakking cares?' Artemis snapped. 'Where's Cat?'

Sweeper instantly came into view beside _Sandstorm_. 'Well, are you going to help me look or not?'

Artemis scowled at him through _Sandstorm_'s viewer and zoomed away, turning criss-crosses through the sky.

It wasn't long before another scream emerged from the com. But this time, the voice belonged to Sweeper.

'Sweeper!' Artemis shouted. Realization hit her like a fast ball. She was now alone. Alone with whatever was out there.

Quicker than ever, Artemis switched _Sandstorm_ into gear and raced across the small exploration field. 'Cat! Sweeper!' she called. 'Come in!'

No answer.

'Trisha! Chris, can you hear me?'

No answer.

Determination and fear boiling inside her, Artemis swished around and headed across, away from _Perseus_. It was possible that the two had ventured too far to pick up signals. But the further she flew away from the Battlestar, the more she realized that Cat and Sweeper were nowhere to be found.

Anxious and defeated, Artemis turned around a began the trip back to _Perseus_. She kept a good look-out for any signs of her comrades along the way, but they never showed up.

'Artemis, Cat, and Sweeper, come in,' came the relaxed voice of Colonel Smith.

Artemis closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 'I'm here, colonel. But I'm afraid to say that Cat and Sweeper are not.'

Smith was silent for a few moments. 'What do you mean?' he said eventually.

'With two screams, they vanished,' Artemis explained, the fear trembling in her voice. 'Colonel, I don't what happened to them, but I'm coming back.'

'You're just going to abandon them?' came the voice of Chief.

Artemis sighed. 'Chief, I'm quite sure they aren't here. Something got them.'

'Maybe it was a cylon ship,' Smith suggested.

'But my radar would detect any cylons,' Artemis protested. 'It wasn't anything like we've seen before. They just...disappeared.'

There was silence on the other end, which was soon replaced with a tremendous crackling white noise. 'Colonel! Chief! Are you there?' When no one replied, she sped more quickly to the docking bay, eager to get out of the silent exploration field.

With a flash of bright white, Artemis stopped in her tracks. 'What was that?' she mumbled. 'Cat? Sweeper, is that you? 'Cause if it is, it's not funny.'

There was no reply. Her breath coming in shallow, hard gasps, she plunged deeper in space and zoomed in on the docking bay entrance. She didn't want to spend any time figuring out what that thing was.

Another flash appeared, and clicking noises sounded on Artemis's com. Confused and scared, she pressed a few buttons to stop the com signal.

But the clicking noise continued.

'Who's there?' she called loudly, flicking on her com again. There was no response. Without hesitating, she asked Chief to kindly open the gate so she could get the frak out of there.

The doors didn't open.

'Chief!' Artemis shouted. Then she remembered that the signal had been interfered with something, that clicking noise.

And with a terrified scream, Artemis disappeared like the others.

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**A/N: ...It's kinda long, but that's just how I write. Anywayz, reviews, please!!!!!**


	3. Chapter Two

Rose leaned against one of the panels of the TARDIS. She flashed her hands above her head in a surrender. At least, that's what the Doctor was doing… 

'Step away from the blue box,' a deep voice said from the crowd of people pointing their rifles at them.

The Doctor made a face. 'I really wish people would stop calling it that,' he mumbled. 'I mean, it _says _"police box" right on the side. It isn't that hard to read it.'

'Step away from the box,' the voice boomed again.

Frightened into obeying, Rose stepped back and gestured with her chin for the Doctor to follow. He did, although rather reluctantly.

The crowd of officers moved apart slightly as a tall woman with slick black hair pulled back in a ponytail stepped forward. She stared at the TARDIS, then at Rose, and then at the Doctor.

'Who are you?' the woman asked. She looked to Rose about somewhere in her thirties, and was wearing some sort of army uniform.

'I'm the Doctor, and you are?' the Doctor replied without hesitation.

'Doctor who?' the woman questioned.

The Doctor smiled. 'Just the Doctor, if you don't mind. Er, may I put my hands down now?'

'No,' the woman stated simply. She turned to Rose. 'And you?'

'Rose,' Rose murmured, her voice shaky.

The woman nodded brusquely. 'My name is Commander Jane Gelth. I am the commander of _Battlestar Perseus_, where you are now.'

Rose's eyes widened as she and the Doctor exchanged humorous glances.

'I'm sorry, did you say Gelth?' the Doctor ventured.

The commander glared at him. 'Indeed. Why?'

The Doctor shook his head, stifling a laugh. 'No reason.'

'Do you think my name is a laughing matter?' Gelth demanded.

Rose quickly answered Gelth's question to the Doctor couldn't pipe up and be his usual rude self. 'It's nothing,' she hurried. 'We've just…heard the name before.'

Gelth stared at them for a moment before she turned to one of the officers still pointing his rifle at them. She whispered something inaudible into his ear and turned briskly to leave.

Rose glanced at the Doctor. 'What was that?' she whispered urgently.

The Doctor shrugged. 'Donno,' he admitted. 'But I think they're going to take us into the heart of the…what'd they call it? Right! The _Battlestar_.'

Rose smiled as the Doctor winked at her and followed the officers down the small corridor. She didn't know how they got that many people to fit inside the tiny place, but she then remembered the picture on the TARDIS's screen and how big the Battlestar was.

'Oi, what you doing with that?' the Doctor suddenly shouted. Rose turned to see two men working to lift the TARDIS. 'You're never going to move it on your own,' the Doctor added. Then he put in a little softer as he turned back around, 'It's a lot bigger than it looks.'

He and Rose chuckled together as they were led down the corridor, multiple officers giving them rather odd looks.

* * *

'What you doing?' 

Katie Heartman looked up to see one of her best friends, Zack Brown, staring down at her. She was lying face up on her bunk, tossing a small silver ball up and down.

'What's it look like?' she shot.

Zack chuckled and sat down on his bunk. He heaved a long sigh, indicating that something was on his mind.

Katie sat up and placed the silver ball on the blankets. She quickly ruffled her short chestnut hair in the back so it wasn't plastered to her head. 'What's wrong?' she asked eventually.

Zack glanced at her and cupped his hand around his chin, resting his elbow on his knee. 'Nothing.'

Katie snorted. 'That doesn't exactly look like nothing,' she murmured. 'Something's up.'

Zack shot her a glare. 'Katie, three of my closest friends just went missing,' he retorted quickly. 'How do you expect me to feel?'

Katie nodded; she had to give him that. Chris and Trisha, they were two of his best friends. But ever since Jenny disappeared…

Katie shook the pang of jealously from her mind. She wouldn't allow herself to be envious of Jenny when she was missing as was most likely never to return. What could possibly happen to three pilots out in space? Oh, that's right. They could disappear.

'I'm sorry, Zack,' Katie mumbled finally. 'But they're gone—'

'But how can you talk like that?' Zack interrupted. 'You're the most optimistic person I know, and now you're telling me that they're never going to come back?'

'Well it's not like they can control what happens or not.' Katie got to her feet and picked up the silver ball. She tossed it around between her lithe fingers, staring down at its shining form. There was something odd about the ball; it was strangely attractive, no matter how plain and weird it seemed.

'What is that, anyway?' Zack asked suddenly.

Katie looked at him. 'I don't really know,' she admitted. 'I just sort of found it lying on my bed.' She paused and stared at the sphere harder. 'I don't really know why it was there.'

And quickly, almost as if the thing had burned her hands, she dropped it back on the bed.

'What?' Zack asked tentatively.

Katie didn't say anything. She simply leered at the ball. And, to her utter confusion, it began glowing orange-red.

* * *

The prisoners were on their way to being interrogated, and Commander Gelth was satisfied in her cabin. She watched intently as a lifter pulled in the blue police box, a glass of water in her hand. The man that called himself 'the Doctor' was right. It wasn't just a blue box.

'Set it down there,' Gelth instructed simply.

One the men bringing in the police box was Chief Carter. He stepped forward, her orange jumpsuit slightly stained from all his hard work in the deck.

'Commander, are you sure you want it in your quarters?' the chief asked cautiously.

Gelth stared at him with unblinking eyes. 'I'm quite sure, Chief, thank you. You three are dismissed.'

Chief saluted quickly and led the other men out of the large room. Gelth stepped forward slightly and touched her fingertips to the box's smooth blue panels. She tried to peer inside it, but the glass was fogged up. Gelth couldn't tell whether that was meant to be or simply an inconvenient coincidence. Perhaps the Doctor hadn't wanted her to get inside?

Nonetheless, Gelth lowered her hand and wrapped her fingers around one of the smooth handles. Hesitantly, unsure of what she'd find inside, she pulled lightly on the doors, revealing the interior of the police box.

She dropped the glass of water she was holding and gasped.

* * *

'Take a seat,' instructed one of the officers, who seemed to be higher of rank. The other officers had taken orders from him, so she suspected he was in charge of the mission, whatever it was.

Rose took a seat in one of the hard-rimmed black chairs, the Doctor following suit. The man in charge took a seat opposite the table. Rose couldn't help feeling like criminals being interrogated in a jail scene. Mickey had always been a fan of movies like that, and Rose had watched a few with him back at home, back on Earth.

'The Doctor and Rose,' the man mumbled. After a moment's pause, he said, 'My name is Captain Gregory Red. I'm sure you'll find that the commander was very lenient in not sending you straight to the brig.'

Rose stifled a giggle. The Doctor shot her a quick glance before saying, 'And I'm sure you'll find that my…ship will be taken care of, correct?'

Red glared at him for a moment before nodding lightly. Rose instantly thought of a famous movie actor when she looked at the captain's hard, scruffy features, but she couldn't remember who.

'Your…_ship_ has been taken to the Commander's cabin,' Red murmured. 'I'm sure she'll take care of it.'

Rose nodded, mainly to look like she was as concerned about the TADIS as the Doctor was.

The Doctor nodded as well, but immediately sat up straight, his eyes wide. 'Rose!' he exclaimed.

'What? What is it?' Rose asked, leaning forward.

The Doctor turned to look at her and whispered urgently, 'I never locked the TARDIS!'

* * *

'What the frak is that thing?' Zack shouted, getting off hid bed and standing beside Katie. Katie simply stared at the glowing sphere. 

'What are you guys doing?' a soft voice said, the voice of another pilot, Clara Prema, as she entered the room. But she halted in her tracks when she spotted the orange-red ball. 'What's that?' she questioned.

Katie held her hand out to stop her from coming any further. Slowly, she reached forward, attempting to touch it. But the second she placed her fingertips on the surface, they burned instantly.

'Ow!' she yelled, placing her fingertips in her mouth.

Clara took a step back, her long, blonde hair swishing with the movement. 'I'll go and get Lieutenant Clark,' she said, hurrying to leave the cabin.

Katie dismissed the action with a shrug and pulled her fingers out of her mouth. She stared in awe at the spot of her fingers where she touched the ball:

The fingerprints had been burned off.

'What the frak…' Zack muttered.

'That thing burned off my fingertips!' Katie exclaimed.

Zack laughed slightly. 'Not your fingertips, just your fingerprints.' He looked down at the sphere a little closer. 'It's still burning. Katie, I think it wants your fingerprints.'

Katie stared down at the silver ball. The glow was fading slightly, but she didn't exactly want to pick it up again anytime soon. She and Zack stared at it, waiting for Clara to return with Lieutenant Clark.

* * *

What Commander Gelth saw was like nothing she'd ever seen before. She ignored the broken glass on the floor and hesitantly took a small step inside of the police box. The inside was a much different colour—pale cream and bright yellows, completely different from the dark blue exterior.

But that wasn't why Gelth was so awestruck. The inside—the cream-and-yellow interior—was far larger than the outside.

Making sure that she didn't close the doors behind her, Gelth took a few more baby steps into the police box, although she couldn't really call it a police box. It was some sort of machine, a _ship_. It was now obvious how the Doctor and Rose came to _Perseus_.

Gelth walked up the smooth ramp leading to the centre of the ship. There was some sort of control panel toward the middle, with numerous buttons and switches aligned randomly round the central pillar, which seemed to be some sort of tube.

Gelth ran her fingers over every single button when she noticed a display screen with a video image of her ship, the _Battlestar Perseus_, displayed on it. Suspicion grew inside her mind, but was immediately replaced with curiosity when she spotted to more doors on the other side of the ship.

Gelth smiled to herself. There was a lot more of the ship to explore. But for now, it was time to see how the interrogation was going.


	4. Chapter Three

Lieutenant Clark entered the cabin, sighing reluctantly. How dangerous could a simple glowing red ball be? It didn't sound all that terrifying, but it was his job, so he followed Clara anyway.

'All right,' he sighed when he saw Katie and Zack staring at the sphere on the bed. 'Let's see.' He bent down and reached for the glowing ball.

'No!' Katie exclaimed, reaching out to stop him. And she did so just in time. As she pulled his hand back, he felt the intense heat radiating off of the ball.

'What is that thing?' he asked the pilots.

Katie shrugged. 'Honestly, lieutenant, I don't know,' she answered. 'I just found it lying on my bed.'

'Was it always glowing?' Clark asked.

Katie shook her head. 'No,' she replied. 'I was fiddling with it until his started glowing.'

Clark looked down at the ball, half-surprised that it wasn't burning the dark grey comforter beneath it. 'Did you touch it?' he asked finally.

Katie glanced at him. 'Yeah, look.'

Clark turned to see Katie's outstretched hand. He took it gingerly and gazed at her fingertips.

He gasped. The edges of her fingertips on that hand were missing.

'Did that thing burn off your fingerprints?' he asked with incredulity.

'Lieutenant, look!' Clara shouted from behind him.

Clark turned around to see the sphere glowing a bright orange now. But when he looked closer, he could see the edges of Katie's fingerprints glued to the bright surface.

'It stole them!' Zack exclaimed. 'Katie, it stole your fingerprints!'

Clark gazed at the ball. 'And I think it's getting frustrated,' he said suddenly. It was obvious. The ball wanted Katie's fingerprints—for the gods know why.

Clara gazed at Clark. 'What do you mean?' she asked.

'I think that for some reason, whatever it may be, this sphere wants your fingerprints, Katie,' Clark explained. He saw the dark-haired girl wince lightly and exchanged glances with Zack.

'Do you think this has anything to do with the blue box?' Clara asked suddenly.

Clark looked at her. She had a point. 'Possibly,' he responded. 'But we can't be too sure. We'll have to report it to Commander Gelth.'

'I'll go,' Katie suggested. 'I found, it wants my fingerprints, I'm responsible.'

Clark gazed at her for a moment. 'Be careful,' he said finally. 'And whatever you do, don't touch it. We'll have to get it in some sort of container.'

Rather unprofessionally, Clark searched around the cabin. He looked through drawers and lockers. Eventually, he came to Katie's.

The brunette pilot stopped him. 'I'll do that,' she said quickly, opening up her own locker. She reached in and pulled out a small food container. 'Will this do?' she asked.

Clark nodded and took the plastic container. He scooped up the glowing ball, but to his terror, the ball slipped and brushed against his palm.

He felt nothing.

Confused, he cautiously reached his hand into the container.

'Lieutenant, what are you doing?' Clara asked in disbelief.

Clark ignored her and continued to reach into the container, when his fingers brushed against the ball's surface, he felt nothing. Nothing except for a smooth, cold, metal sphere.

'Katie, this thing burned you, correct?' he asked the pilot.

Katie nodded. 'And it took the tips of my fingerprints with it.'

Clark nodded and pulled the sphere out of the box. He fiddled with it in his palm, showing it to the incredulous faces of the pilots around him.

'Whatever that thing is, it definitely wants Katie,' Zack confirmed.

Clark watched Katie's expression go from bedazzled to horrified. 'But why me?' she asked fearfully. 'What's so special about me?'

'You're our top pilot,' Clark observed. 'Maybe it wants to get inside your viper.'

Katie gazed at the sphere in shock. 'Whatever it is, Commander Gelth needs to see it.'

Clark nodded and put the ball back inside the container. He handed it to Katie carefully. 'You are dismissed,' he said to the others, and the all retreated quickly, slipping away through the cabin.

* * *

Captain Red was not impressed. He ran his fingers through his thick orange hair and glared at the wall ahead of him. He had left the Doctor and Rose inside the interrogation room and had ordered them to stay put. Now whether or not they'd follow his orders, he didn't know.

He was on his way to Commander Gelth's cabin. Frustration pricked at him as he charged through the corridor, unable to think of how incredibly annoying that Doctor was.

He made it to the commander's quarters and knocked on the doorframe.

Gelth looked up from her paperwork. 'Come in,' she welcomed.

Red inhaled deeply and stepped through into the room. He took notice of the giant police box beside the door and gestured toward it. 'Have you figured out how it got here?'

Gelth smiled. 'Yes,' she replied. 'But I do not wish to inform you quite just yet. Have you figured out what he calls it?'

'At first he kept saying it was his ship, but then he said the name "TARDIS." I think that's what he calls it.'

'TARDIS…' Gelth echoed, sounding it out on her tongue. 'Interesting name.'

Red nodded. 'Commander, the interrogation isn't going so well,' he said finally.

'What, he isn't talking?' Gelth asked sarcastically.

Red shook his head in annoyance. 'Actually, he is talking. That's what's so irritating. He won't stop.'

Gelth chuckled gently. 'He seemed like the talkative type.'

Red nodded and was about to leave when he glanced at the police box once more. 'Commander,' he began timidly. 'If you don't mind, could I possibly have a look inside sometime?'

Gelth chuckled once more. 'Not yet, captain,' she instructed. 'For now, you are dismissed.'

Red nodded and saluted. Gelth saluted him back, and he made his way out of the cabin.

* * *

'What are you doing?' Rose whispered to the Doctor. She remained seated, no matter what he was doing.

The Doctor drew his sonic screwdriver along the doorframe, then toward the corners and vertices of the walls. 'This place is amazing,' he mumbled. 'I don't see how they do it.'

'Do what?' Rose asked, irritation pricking at her.

The Doctor slipped his device back into his inside coat pocket and turned to Rose. 'Are you coming?' he asked, ignoring her question.

'The captain told us to stay,' Rose pointed out.

The Doctor shrugged. 'I know,' he said nonchalantly.

Rose grinned and got to her feet. She followed the Doctor out of the cramped room and into the corridor. 'So where exactly are we?' she asked the Doctor.

He shrugged. 'You saw the image,' he said. 'We're on some sort of _Battlestar_. I think they called it _Battlestar Perseus_.'

Rose nodded, all the information slipping through one ear and out the other. 'And we're in the year 2125?'

'Apparently,' the Doctor murmured. 'But something was calling us here. What was that?'

'Doctor,' Rose muttered. 'What if the thing that called us here isn't friendly? It wouldn't be the first time.'

The Doctor shrugged. 'I guess we'll just have to find out.'

Rose shook her head in exasperation and followed the Doctor down the corridor. 'If I could just find the TARDIS…' he was mumbling, but Rose paid no attention. She was too busy gazing around the so-called Battlestar, wondering exactly where they were.

Suddenly, a navy blue schematic on the wall caught her attention. 'Doctor,' she said, walking up to it.

The Doctor stopped talking and made his way over to her. 'You never listen to what I'm saying. It gets frustrating sometimes…' But the Doctor's voice faded as he noticed the schematic. 'A map,' he observed. 'This could help.'

Rose watched as he drew his finger along the intricate drawings on the map. Apparently they were on Deck 14, Frame 17, Corridor 5. Kind of a random spot for the TARDIS to land, but Rose wasn't complaining.

'So where are we headed?' she asked, looking around the narrow corridor.

'Well, they took the TARDIS,' the Doctor observed. He straightened and turned to Rose. 'It's possible that Commander Gelth is inspecting it.' He paused and sighed. 'I wouldn't be surprised if she took it to dissect it.' He stopped and drew in a sharp breath. 'We've got to save her.'

Rose giggled. 'Who, the commander or the TARDIS?'

* * *

Katie Heartman slouched down the corridor, her gaze fixed on the plastic container. The ball glowed inside, and she could feel its heat burning the plastic. She'd have to make it to the commander's quarters as soon as possible.

Quickening her pace, she raced down the narrow hall. It wasn't long before she spotted Captain Red striding in her direction.

'Where're you off to?' Red asked.

'There's something the commander needs to see,' Katie explained. 'It's kind of a…glowing ball.'

Red looked down at the container and peered through the translucent plastic. After a moment, he burst out laughing.

'What's so dangerous about a glowing red ball?' he laughed.

Katie straightened. 'Well, what's so dangerous about a big blue box?'

Red regained his composure and straightened up. 'You are dismissed, soldier,' he said and saluted briskly before heading down the hall.

Katie sighed. It was probably going to take a lot for the commander to understand her plea about the metal sphere. It probably was connected to the police box somehow, but she shrugged off the thought and continued down the corridor to Commander Gelth's cabin.

'You may come in,' Gelth called from inside.

The first thing Katie noticed as she entered the room was that the already infamous police box was inside. She stopped and did a double-take at the box.

'Sir?'

Gelth looked up from her table and laughed lightly. 'I was inspecting it. What is it you need?'

Katie straightened and placed the container on the table in front of Gelth.

The commander looked up at her. 'What's that?'

'I believe you should look at it first, Commander,' she suggested formally.

Gelth glanced at her once more before reaching forward and taking off the lid of the plastic box. The ball was still glowing inside it, radiating heat about the temperature of a star. But when Gelth reached forward and picked it up, she didn't seem to flinch with pain at all.

'That's strange,' Gelth observed. 'I felt this thing's heat the second you placed it on the table. But why aren't I feeling anything now?'

Katie relaxed her shoulders. Maybe it would be easier than she thought to explain to the commander. 'I just found the thing laying on my bunk,' she explained. 'It wasn't orange then. It was a simple silver ball. I fiddled with it, until it started glowing and I threw it down. Look at what it did.'

Katie reached her hand forward and showed Gelth her burnt fingerprints.

'That's incredible,' Gelth whispered. 'So it hurt you, but it has absolutely no affect for me whatsoever.'

Katie nodded. 'Lieutenant Clark touched it too, and nothing happened,' she said.

Gelth stared up at her, fiddling with the sphere in her hands. 'So it wants you?'

'My fingerprints, to be more precise.'

Gelth looked down at the ball once more before placing it gently inside the container. 'Do you think this has anything to do with the Doctor and Rose?'

Katie blinked at her commander. 'I'm sorry?'

Gelth chuckled softly. 'They are the people—real human people—that we found in the police box.'

'There were people in there?' Katie asked incredulously.

Gelth nodded. 'They are very fascinating people. They speak in odd accents. But if this thing appeared the same time as the police box, then perhaps they are inter-connected.'

Katie nodded. 'That's what I thought, sir.'

Gelth nodded. 'I keep this. You are dismissed.'

Katie saluted and waited for the commander to return the action before leaving.


	5. Chapter Four

Rose realized just how glad she was that she didn't live on _Battlestar Perseus_ only when she saw the size of the ship. There were at least 15 decks—floors, that is—and 20 corridors on each. Not to mention the 50 frames on each corridor. 

Rose followed the Doctor along Corridor 5. He hadn't told her where the commander's quarters was, but she didn't doubt him knowing.

'So where is it again?' she ventured, hoping for an accurate description this time.

The Doctor didn't seem to answer for a moment; he was enchanted by the intricate designs of the Battlestar's interior. But Rose tapped him lightly on the shoulder. 'I don't know,' he replied curtly.

Rose rolled her eyes. 'Doctor, you said something was calling us here,' she mumbled. 'Shouldn't we be looking for that signal?'

The Doctor glanced back at Rose. 'Rose, if we want to find that signal, then we have to find the TARDIS first.'

'Can't we just ask someone?' Rose asked.

The Doctor gave her a look. 'Rose, we just escaped from that interrogation room. Who, do you think, is going to say to us, "Oh, yeah, Commander Gelth's cabin is just around that corner. Kay, thanks!"'

Rose folded her arms across her chest and continued to slouch down the corridor, passing frame after frame. A few people passed them, giving them odd looks, when Rose noticed that Captain Red was on his way back to the room they had left.

'Hey!' the captain shouted, storming toward them. Rose smiled as the Doctor rolled his eyes with a sigh and stop walking. 'What do you think you're doing?'

'I was just checking out this place,' the Doctor stated simply gesturing toward the structures around him.

Red raised his eyebrows suspiciously. 'I'm sure you were.' He wrapped his hand around the Doctor's upper arm, doing the same with Rose's.

'Oi, get off!' Rose exclaimed.

Red narrowed his eyes and hauled the two down the corridor.

Rose 'hmphed' resignedly. 'But we got so far!' she whined.

'Shut it,' Red ordered.

'Captain,' the Doctor questioned.

Red didn't looked at him. 'What do you want?' he asked grudgingly.

'Aren't you of less status?' the Doctor asked, walking in an odd position due to Red's clamped hand around his arm.

Red glared at him. 'What are you talking about?' he questioned angrily. 'I am a captain!'

The Doctor nodded. 'But why are you doing interrogations if you so high in stature?'

Red stopped and released Rose and the Doctor. Rose rubbed the spot where Red had seized her and gestured for the Doctor to stop.

'What are you talking about?' Red repeated. 'I…' But the captain couldn't continue. He stopped and stared at the Doctor.

'Right,' the Doctor mumbled, backing away slowly, motioning for Rose to follow. 'You ponder that for a moment…'

'Where do you think you're going?' Red hollered, running after them.

Rose raced down the corridor, the Doctor's long brown coat flaring as he ran. 'Where are we going?' she shouted.

The Doctor wove through the throng of people on the Battlestar, leaving strange faces looking confused.

'Get them!' Rose could hear Captain Red shouting from behind them. She glanced around to see multiple soldiers racing after them.

'Run, Doctor!' she yelled, quickening her pace. But it wasn't long before something thick and hard clapped her on the head and sent her crashing to the smooth floor.

'Rose!' the Doctor shouted before she fell unconscious.

* * *

Commander Gelth gazed at the sphere, fumbling it around in her hands many times. It was odd how the thing wanted only Katie Heartman's fingerprints; Gelth went over and over in her head why such a thing would want Katie's possessions. Then she thought to her viper—no that was Jenny Frond's viper. Chief had given Jenny his special viper for some reason, but now both were gone, disappeared by the force of gods know what. 

Gelth placed the ball down on the mahogany table, only to realize that it would burn it with its intense heat. She placed it back in the plastic container, wondering why it wasn't burning the burnable material. A thought had struck her. Maybe this ball was connected with the Doctor's appearance, but because the strange man could find out _why _it was here…

Gelth shut the lid of the container once more and stared at the wondrous police box set beside the table. _A 'TARDIS', the captain told me…_

Without hesitation, Gelth stood up. She walked the short distance over to the TARDIS and creaked open the door once more. She faltered lightly as she saw the interior once more—the inside would never cease to amaze her.

Cautiously she took a step forward.

'Commander!'

Gelth slammed the door shut and turned to see Captain Red panting in the doorframe. 'What, what is it?' she asked hastily.

Red inhaled deeply. 'It's the Doctor! He and Rose escaped.'

Gelth stared at the red-haired captain in confusion. 'They…_escaped?_' she echoed.

Red nodded. 'We got Rose, but the Doctor wouldn't go anywhere without her, so he surrendered.'

'Surrendered?' Gelth echoed once more.

Red hesitated. 'Is…is this a problem, sir?'

Gelth paced toward Captain Red, folding her arms across her chest. 'Why were they locked up in the first place?' she asked curiously, anxious to hear Red's response.

The captain opened his mouth to say something, and then apparently thought better of it. 'Shall I…release them, sir?' he stammered.

Gelth unfolded her arms. 'Don't release them,' she decided. 'Just…bring them here. I have a few questions I want answered.'

Red nodded. 'Yes, sir,' he muttered before saluting. He turned to leave, when Gelth called him again.

'Oh, and Captain?' she called.

Red turned to the commander. 'Yes, sir?'

'Bring Katherine Heartman as well,' Gelth ordered. 'I have a feeling she might have something to do with this.'

* * *

Katie was slumped over the doorframe, rubbing the spot where the ball had burned off her fingerprints. She was practically overjoyed that Commander Gelth had taken the sphere off her, so she didn't have to gaze at it anymore. Something about that thing made her feel…awkward. She didn't like the aura it gave off. 

'Katie?'

Katie turned to see Clara standing beside the door. 'Are…are you all right?' she stuttered.

Katie nodded with a soft chuckle. 'Yeah,' she replied. 'I'm a bit disturbed…'

Clara laughed lightly and stood next to Katie. 'I just wanted to check up on you, make sure you were okay.'

Katie nodded. 'Thanks, Clara,' she mumbled, looking back down at her fingertips.

'Katherine Heartman?' came a voice from beyond Clara. Katie looked up to see Captain Red standing there, and Clara backed up to let him through.

'Yes, sir?' Katie said. Her gaze drifted to the person standing behind him, and she froze uncontrollably.

It was him. He was here.

'I'm sorry, is there a problem?' Captain Red asked, false concern lacing his voice.

Katie straightened, not taking her eyes off of the man behind Red. He was giving her a suspicious look. 'No, sir,' she told the captain.

Red nodded. 'Good,' he muttered. 'Commander Gelth wants you and the Doctor here in her cabin.'

'I'm sorry?' Katie murmured.

Red rolled his eyes. 'Follow me.'

Katie pushed her mind into walking-mode and followed the two men down the corridor, all the time not taking her eyes off of the man called the 'Doctor.'

'Doctor who?' she found herself asking.

The man turned to glance at her. 'Just "the Doctor,"' he said.

Katie felt like she'd fall over in awe. It was the same voice. The same voice she'd heard all her life.

* * *

The Doctor wasn't quite sure what Katie Heartman wanted with him, but she couldn't seem to take her eyes off him. He fiddled with his coat nervously, unsure of why she was staring at him.

'Doctor?'

The Doctor looked up to see Commander Gelth gazing at him with intent eyes.

'Ah, yes,' he said, drawing himself back into the present reality. 'Nice to meet you like two civil people,' he muttered, reaching his hand out. Gelth took it and the two shook hands.

'I'm sure you've already met Captain John Red and Katherine Heartman,' Gelth introduced.

The Doctor nodded. 'Yes, I'—he stopped and glanced at Katie quickly—'…I have…'

Gelth smiled. 'Good,' she said. 'Then I don't have to introduce everyone. But, where is your companion? Rose, was it?'

The Doctor nodded. 'Um, yeah,' he mumbled. 'Apparently, one of your men knocked her unconscious.' The Doctor saw Gelth shoot a warning glance at Captain Red standing in the corner. 'She's still unconscious.'

Gelth nodded with a sigh. 'All right then,' she said eventually. 'I hope she isn't needed, because I have many questions I want answered.'

The Doctor nodded and rubbed his hands together. He was always up for questions—unless he didn't know the answers to them.

Katie cautiously stuttered suddenly, 'Commander, why was I called here?'

Gelth stared at the pilot with unblinking eyes. 'The ball wants _your _fingerprints. I think that makes you a suspect.'

'A suspect of what?'

Now the Doctor was intrigued. What fingerprint-wanting ball could they possibly mean? 'Mind if I take a look at this ball?' he asked curiously.

Gelth glanced at the Doctor, and then at a plastic container on the table beside her. 'It's in there. I warn you, though. You may not be able to touch it.'

With his curiosity pricked, the Doctor reached down and pulled the lid off of the box. Inside was a round, metal sphere—glowing a bright orangish-red. The heat radiating off of it was enough for the Doctor to falter backward.

'Phew!' he exclaimed, taking a few steps backward. 'That thing is generating tons of heat.' He glanced at Katie. 'And you touched it?'

Katie fiddled with her thumbs timidly. 'It wasn't that hot when I touched it.'

'Clearly enough to steal your fingerprints, though,' the Doctor guessed. 'Can I see your hand?'

The Doctor was slightly surprised to see Katie's reaction to the request. She gazed at him in awe before gingerly placing her hand in front of him. He took it carefully, examining the tip of her fingerprints.

'Yep,' he muttered half to himself. 'This thing wants your fingerprints.' Then he let go of Katie's hand and reached into the box. 'I wonder if I can touch it.' Without hesitating, he wrapped his fingers around the smooth metal surface without feeling a thing. Wonder replacing the curiosity, he picked up the sphere and juggled it in his hands.

He laughed a few times. 'Fantastic!' he exclaimed, tossing the ball to Commander Gelth, who caught it in surprise. The Doctor grabbed the ball from her hands swiftly and juggled it a few more times. 'It's a finger burner, or the modern way of calling it, a catcher.'

'Catcher?' Gelth echoed, clearly expecting an explanation.

The Doctor gazed at the catcher. 'These things haven't been used for years—wait a minute.' The Doctor instantly turned serious and gazed at the wall. 'These things…it's 2125…these haven't been invented yet. These should be invented in the 51st century, it's only the 22nd. How did you get this?'

Katie shrugged. 'It was lying on my bed.'

The Doctor paced around the room. 'Then that means someone here _wants _you to open something for them, or the modern slang term, _catch_ something for them.'

Gelth shook her head in confusion. 'Excuse me, Doctor, but what _is _this thing?' she asked exasperatedly.

The Doctor grinned at her. 'This thing, Commander, is called a catcher, and for some reason, someone on this Battlestar wants to get somewhere only Katie Heartman can go.'


	6. Chapter Five

Rose blinked open her eyes in confusion. She tried to lift a hand to rub her eyes only to find that they were tied up behind her back. 

'Hey!' she called to a guard standing just outside the doorframe. 'Hey, untie me!'

The guard turned slightly, scoffed, then went back to his watch.

Irritated, Rose gazed around the room. It was a small, uncomfortable room, and the cold metal binding her hands together didn't help the mood portrayed in the room. But that's not all that Rose didn't like. When she got to her feet and turned around, a wall of steel bars blocked her from the rest of the room.

'Oi!' she exclaimed, facing the guard again. 'Get me out of here!'

The guard didn't so much as look at her.

Rose slouched down on the stiff bed provided in the cell-like structure. 'All right,' she mumbled half to herself and half to the guard. 'I'm in some sort of _brig_. But what, exactly have I done wrong?' When the guard didn't say anything, she continued. 'Fine. Don't worry; I know the Doctor will come back and get me. I just have to wait.'

Suddenly, the guard stepped aside, and sure enough, the Doctor appeared in the doorway.

Rose smirked lightly.

'So why aren't you locking him up?' she venture to the guard as the Doctor picked at the locks with his sonic screwdriver. 'He's an escaping prisoner, too.'

'Shut it, Rose,' the Doctor advised as the cell door opened. 'I suggest that you don't change Commander Gelth's mind.'

Rose glanced at the doorway to see the commander and another officer waiting patiently outside the room. She followed the Doctor outside and into the corridor.

'Okay,' Gelth mumbled, standing straight and with her hands clasped together behind her back. 'I fulfilled your end of the deal. Now help us figure out what that catcher wants, and who it belongs to.'

Rose blinked at the Doctor. 'Doctor…?'

'I'll explain later,' the Doctor whispered to her before turning to the commander again. 'Do you have any sort of study room or something?'

Gelth stifled a laugh. 'I'm very sorry, but there are no "study rooms" aboard the _Battlestar Perseus_. If you want a quiet place to figure this out, then consult with Lieutenant Gem. She—'

'Oh, I don't need a quiet place to study,' the Doctor interrupted. Rose smiled. She imagined the Doctor sitting quietly in a library, reading about aliens and technology from other worlds. She stifled a giggle and listened to the conversation.

'Then why did you ask for a study room?' Gelth asked politely.

The Doctor grinned. 'I'm just looking for the library.'

* * *

Confused and dazed, Katie caught up with the Doctor and Rose as they strutted through the corridors, avoiding the numerous pilots and crewmembers. She was absolutely sure. It was him.

'Doctor!' she called out through the corridor, attracting little attention.

The Doctor turned, his light brown overcoat faltering lightly. 'What?'

Katie cringed gently. She was sure that the Doctor was suspicious of her actions already. 'Where are you going?'

The Doctor slowed his gait lightly and scratched his head. 'I'm taking a tour of the _Battlestar Perseus_. Is that all right?'

Katie listened intently to the Doctor's voice before nodding. She stumbled once in shock and continued down the corridor.

'If you don't mind,' the Doctor called back. 'I'd like to take this tour without the aid of a pilot, thank you.'

Slightly crestfallen, Katie nodded and stopped walking, turning toward the rushing people around her. Decidedly figuring out what to do, she thought she'd make her way to the CIC.

* * *

The Doctor flew down the corridor, always checking to make sure that Rose was still behind him. He still had to tell her everything about the catcher and what pilot Katie Heartman had to do with anything. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sphere, no longer glowing due to its proximity with Katie.

'What's that?' Rose asked beside him.

'It's called a catcher,' the Doctor explained quickly. 'They're devices invented in the 51st century designed to steal someone's fingerprints and use them to unlock certain doors only "unlockable" by that person.'

'51st?' Rose echoed in puzzlement. 'I thought you said that we're in the 22nd century.'

'I did, and we are,' the Doctor confirmed simply. He tossed the ball in the air. 'This thing wants Katie Heartman's fingerprints, and I need to find out who and why. The poor thing. She found it lying on her bunk one night and started fiddling with it until it started glowing orange and was burning intensely. You can't even imagine how much heat is crammed into this thing!'

Rose smiled at the Doctor. 'Why isn't it glowing now?'

'Probably because I took it too far away from its target,' the Doctor replied. 'That's the reason I asked Katie not to follow us. I wanted to see what happened with the ball.' Then he added in a quieter voice, 'I also thought she was a bit weird. Something's going on here. Oh, look! The ship deck. I wonder what's down here.' He flashed a quick smile at Rose before sprinting over to the entrance. When he entered the deck, he slowed his pace and gazed around, completely drawn in by the scenery.

Dozens of fighters and single jets were displayed around the deck, with workers in orange jumpsuits working on maintenance.

'Fantastic!' the Doctor exclaimed. He glanced at Rose and said, 'This is fantastic!'

Rose was gazing around the deck as well. 'I heard you the first time,' she murmured absent-mindedly before walking up to a ship and running her hands along its smooth panels.

The Doctor quickly warned her to be careful before setting off to find the manager of the ship deck. He had to speak to _someone_ about the wonderful jets around him.

* * *

The Doctor quickly found Decks Chief Carter milling about over one particular jet. He had casually strode up to him and put his hands on the ship—a bad move. Chief had almost instantly scolded him and told him not to touch the equipment _or _fighters. He also called a few of them vipers, and raptors, and the Doctor assumed that these were what they called the ships.

'So,' Chief mumbled, leaning against the same viper he had told the Doctor not to touch. 'Who are you?'

The Doctor gazed up at the viper. The name 'Artemis' was engraved on the side, and he also saw two other vipers next to them with the words 'Cat' and 'Sweeper' on their sides. They seemed to be beaten up and salvaged compared to the other vipers on the deck.

'I'm the Doctor,' the Doctor finally managed, gazing up at the wrecked ship.

Chief blinked at him expectantly. 'Doctor what?' he asked eventually.

The Doctor only glanced at him before reaching his hand out to brush his hand over the name on the side of the viper. 'May I?' he asked this time.

Chief sighed. 'I guess I really shouldn't have told you not to. Sure, you can touch it. I was just surprised, and I'm not usually surprised.'

The Doctor nodded and ran his hand along the name. 'What's it mean?' he asked.

When Chief didn't respond, the Doctor looked at him and pulled his hand away. 'What does the name _Artemis_ mean?'

Chief sighed again. 'Artemis is Jennifer Blake's call sign. What did you think?'

The Doctor put his hands inside his pockets. 'Call sign?' he repeated. The life among these humans was so strange, and he wanted to know everything about it.

'When pilots finish training, they get a call sign to be referred as outside. Jenny's call sign was Artemis,' Chief explained.

The Doctor nodded. He decided not to press forward, since Chief was acting rather personal to the subject of Jennifer Blake. He looked up at the other vipers. 'Who was Cat and Sweeper?'

'Trisha Reed and Christopher Mel. All three of them disappeared at the same time,' Chief said.

The Doctor glanced up at the cockpit of Artemis's viper. Something odd caught his eye. 'You said they simply…_disappeared_?'

Chief nodded. 'Yes,' he said. 'We found these vipers floating out in space.' He paused, seeming to understand what the Doctor was getting at. 'Yes, the exo-glass was not intact. There was no glass there, and we assumed that they were'—Chief swallowed before finishing—'dead from being shot. The bullet probably broke the glass, and then they floated out of the open hole.'

The Doctor gazed at the glass-less cockpit. Something wasn't right. 'But there was no sign of the exo-glass or the pilots?' he asked.

'No,' Chief confirmed. 'They were…gone.'

The Doctor drew his fingertips over the edge where the glass should have started. There were no broken fragments. It simply felt like the glass was never there. 'No,' he muttered eventually.

'Sorry?'

'No, as in no one shot them,' the Doctor said.

Chief chuckled slightly. 'That's what I thought. I said, "Who's going to _shoot _them?" I mean, we found out what the police box was doing here. But who—_what _would shoot them?'

The Doctor drew his hand back quickly, expecting a cut from the exo-glass fragments to appear on his fingertips. But he didn't feel anything, and when he looked down at his fingers, there was no mark of indentation.

'This glass must have been forced from the cockpit, yes, but it wasn't broken,' the Doctor explained to Chief. 'It's almost like the people were dead before the glass was cut out of place.' Almost as if he was finished with his investigation, the Doctor pulled away from the viper and turned to Chief. 'Something's not right on this Battlestar.'

'I kinda figured that,' Chief mumbled.

The Doctor stifled a grin. Something about this guy cheered him up. 'I want records on these peoples' lives on _Battlestar Perseus_. I need to know what they were doing before they disappeared.'

Chief looked able and ready. 'Sure,' he replied without hesitation. Then he paused. 'Er, I don't think that's going to be possible.'

'Why not?' the Doctor asked.

'You'll have to talk to Commander Gelth to get personal records,' Chief explained. 'Don't come to me.'

The Doctor sighed and spared one last glance at Artemis's viper. It was odd-looking, and much different from the others, aside from its wreck and the fact that it looked like a heap of rubbish.

'All right then,' he murmured, turning for the door. Then he remembered something and halted in his tracks. He rolled his eyes. 'Rose!'

* * *

Rose was completely captivated by the planes around her. She overheard the Doctor talking to someone near a few beaten up ships and heard him calling them vipers, but she couldn't be too sure. She traced her fingers over the designs of the 'vipers', drawing her fingertips over the words engraved on the side of each ship. 

Hotrod…

Kerry…

Taxi…

They were all strangely random words. Rose wondered what they meant. But just as she stepped further into the deck, an exasperated voice sounded from far behind her.

'Hey!' the voice called. Rose spun around to see a blond, spiky-haired boy rushing up to her. 'What do you think you're doing? If you're a visitor, you should be with Chief.'

Rose shoved a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and smiled politely. 'Er, I'm not exactly a visitor…'

'Then what are you doing here?'

Rose looked thoroughly at the boy in front of her. He looked no older than nineteen, her age, and yet seemed to know everything about what went on in the Battlestar. The Doctor may have wanted to speak with him.

'I, er, I was in the blue police box you saw in…what was it, Frame 7?' Rose stammered. She tried to portray an innocent expression so the boy wouldn't give her too hard a time.

'Oh,' he said lightly. 'I suppose you may have met Chief, or even the commander. I'm William deLehman, but you can call me Will.'

Rose took Will's extended hand and said, 'I'm Rose. My friend over there is called the Doctor. He's a bit more experienced than I am at this whole thing.'

'What thing?' Will asked, clearly confused.

'Never mind,' Rose decided, pulling her hand away. 'Um, who's the boss around here?'

'That would be Chief,' Will explained, pointing to the man the Doctor was talking to. 'He's Decks Chief Carter, but it's customary to call him Chief.'

Rose nodded. She wasn't exactly interested in that, but she was interested in Will, that was for sure. 'So how long have you been on _Battlestar Perseus_?'

Will chuckled lightly. 'Getting personal? We've only just met.'

Rose shrugged. She couldn't exactly see how that was a personal question, but she didn't press Will further. She didn't want to blow it already.

'Rose!'

Rose turned to see the Doctor waving to her from across the deck. She glanced at Will. 'That's the Doctor,' she introduced quickly. 'I should go.'

'How long are you staying on board?' Will asked quickly.

Rose turned to him once more. 'I don't know. Maybe a day, maybe a week.' And with that, she jogged off to meet the Doctor.

* * *

Katie strutted into the CIC to see Commander Gelth talking to Colonel Smith quietly. Lieutenant Clark was talking to a few other officers positioned around the room, and she walked in freely.

'Commander,' Katie said brusquely, saluting shortly before continuing. 'The Doctor and Rose have gone to the flight deck. They're investigating Artemis's, Cat's, and Sweeper's vipers.'

'Good,' Gelth decided. 'Maybe the Doctor can tell us what happened to them.'

'Sir, it's also possible that the ball and the disappearing people are connected as well as the Doctor's appearance.'

Gelth stared at Katie for a moment. 'You do have a point,' she said eventually. 'But didn't you see the sphere days after our pilots' disappearances?'

Katie nodded. 'True, sir, but it is a possibility.'

Gelth nodded. 'You're absolutely right,' she said. 'Thank you. That will be all.'

Katie saluted once more before turning to leave.

'Katie!'

Katie turned to see Zack motioning to her and whispering her name urgently. She sighed and made her way over to him. Maybe one day he'd forget about Jenny's disappearance and accept it as a death and see what's right in front of his nose.

'Take a look at this,' Zack whispered, pulling out a piece of paper from a desk in front of him. Petty officer Renée Swan turned to face Katie.

'We've gotten a report from Caprica,' Swan explained. 'The whole city's been nuked.'

Katie widened her eyes and glanced at the sheet of paper. She grabbed it from Zack's hands and read over the report, fear seeping through her thoughts. The whole of Caprica City, gone.

'Why haven't you told the commander?' Katie demanded, thrusting the paper in Swan's face.

The petite brunette winced slightly. 'I don't know if it's a fake or not.'

'Why would it be a fake? Commander!' Katie shouted across the room.

Gelth looked up from her conversation with Smith and gave Katie a questioning look. 'What is it?' she asked.

'It's Caprica!' Katie shouted. 'The city's been nuked!'

* * *

The Doctor motioned for Rose to follow him, and she did so accordingly. He hurried down the corridors, stopping in front of the door to Commander Gelth's quarters. But when he looked, no one was there. 

'Hurry,' he said to Rose.

'Why?' she asked, rushing after him. 'What's wrong?'

The Doctor stopped looking around wildly and blinked at Rose. 'Don't you feel it?' There was a sense of hostility among the members of the crew on the Battlestar; they were rushing around hurriedly, nervous and fearful expressions on their faces.

Without answering Rose's question, the Doctor ran up to one of the crew. 'Excuse me, er, what's going on?'

The officer, a strong-looking man with rusty orange hair, blinked at the Doctor. 'Don't you know?' he questioned, then lowered his voice. 'It's the Cylons. They've nuked Caprica City.'

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably, clearly confused. 'Ah, and, er, what's a Cylon?'

The man was too in shock to answer before he got swept away with the rest of the rushing crowd. The Doctor sighed and glanced at Rose. 'I think we're missing something important.'

'Maybe the commander can tell us. If anyone, she'll understand that we've no idea what's going on,' Rose suggested.

The Doctor nodded. 'Right,' he murmured, and headed through the corridor before pausing. 'And where's the commander?'

Rose shrugged. 'I don't know,' she said.

The Doctor nodded and pulled another soldier aside. 'Do you know where Commander Gelth would be right about now?' he asked.

The soldier chuckled lightly before saying, 'Well, she's most likely in the CIC.'

The Doctor nodded. 'Right, and, where's the CIC?'

The man seemed exasperated, and unwilling to answer the question. 'Sorry, but there's no time to answer that question. We have to defend ourselves against the Cylons.'

As the man hurried away, the Doctor threw his hands up in annoyance. 'What the hell's a Cylon?'

Rose shoved him forward. 'We might as well look for this CIC,' she said. 'It's where Gelth is.'

The Doctor nodded and hurried down the corridor. He came across another one of those wall maps and traced his fingers along the numerous passageways. 'Ah!' he exclaimed at last. 'The CIC. Right there.' Without waiting for Rose, he hurled himself down the corridor.

* * *

Rose folded her arms as she entered the CIC and gazed around. The Doctor didn't take any time to examine his surroundings; he simply rushed in straight to where Commander Gelth was standing, pointing at many pieces of paper and screens displaying a beautiful, cream-coloured planet.

'And what planet's that?' Rose asked the short girl positioned in a chair right in front of multiple computers, a thick pair of headphones on her head.

The girl looked up. 'That?' she questioned incredulously. She laughed shortly. 'That's Caprica. You've…you've never heard of Caprica? Where are you living?'

Rose opened her mouth to say 'Earth', but something in the girl's tone made her realize that the question was rhetorical. 'Er, sorry,' she mumbled instead. 'I'm visiting from…a planet…'

The girl looked at Rose, and expression of disbelief on her face. 'And what planet's that?' she asked.

Rose sighed. 'It's a little place called E—'

'Rose, look at this!'

Rose turned to see the Doctor waving at her wildly. 'Come and see this!' he shouted again. Judging by his awed expression, Rose guessed that he was in one of his explanatory moods.

'I better go,' she said the girl.

'Rose, that's a nice name,' the girl commented. 'My name's Renée Swan.'

Rose nodded, smiled brightly, and headed over to the Doctor. 'What is it?' she asked, allowing the exasperation she felt to show in her voice.

The Doctor pointed to the screen in front of him where Gelth was standing. 'That's Caprica. The planet Caprica,' he pointed out.

'I would never have guessed,' Rose muttered, smiling at the Doctor.

'But this is one of the twelve colonies!' The Doctor could barely contain his amazement. 'Rose, we're millions of light years away from home!'

Rose wasn't entirely comforted by that fact, but she took it as a good thing, since this planet's capitol city just got bombed by the mysterious unknown things called Cylons. 'All right, and, what's a Cylon?'

The Doctor was right on it. 'Cylons are metal artificial intelligence that these humans of the twelve colonies created year ago. They were meant to help humans in everyday life, when they turned on them and decided to make war.'

Rose nodded. 'Sounds fun.'

'Oh, it's hardly fun,' Gelth remarked, anger piercing her sharp tone. 'For a long time, we never heard from the Cylons. We always sent a human to meet with them, but they never showed up. They just sort of appeared out of nowhere and attacked Caprica.'

The Doctor seemed as intrigued as ever. He looked down at the screen and pressed a few buttons on the keyboard below him. Rose leaned closer and leaned closer and whispered, 'Would it be horrible if I told anyone about Earth?'

The Doctor looked up sharply. 'Let's just say I strongly suggest you don't even mention Earth's name.'

Rose nodded. Something about the way the Doctor said that didn't make her any more comfortable, and she glanced at Gelth, her expression calm and angered. Apparently these Cylons were definitely no friends, and if they had appeared out of nowhere, they were definitely a force to be feared.


	7. DISCONTINUED

**AS OF NOW, "SOLDIER" IS BEING DISCONTINUED.**

But not completely. If you liked how this story was starting, you may go ahead and take it (as long as I get _some _credit). The only thing you do is review saying that you want the story. If I reply, then send a PM to me explaining how you want the rest of the storyline to continue. Well, you don't have to do that. If not, just PM me saying that you're going to write it as it goes. But if you have a specific idea, then tell me.

I'll announce who the story belongs to March 14th. If no one reviews before then, then I will permanently discontinue this fic. It was fun while writing, but it's just not my type of writing!!! I 3 Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica, but I'm not that great at x-overs.

Thanks so much to all of you!

-Helena

P.S. One exception. You must keep the beginning and continue from there. Lovez to yall:D


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